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Q&A continued The clearest finish Q: I want to keep my spalted maple looking as natural and non-yellow as possible. What finish should I use? —AnnA ThornTon, Brookline, Mass. A: Maple has a tendency to yellow over time no matter what finish is used. However, you have a choice of finishes based on how much handling the piece is likely to get. If you want to give the Spalted or not, maple tends to yellow over time. The question is: What finish minimizes the yellowing? wood some protection but still stay close to an in-thewood look, I suggest you apply two or three coats of a non-gloss water-based finish, sanding with P220-grit sandpaper after the first and second coats. If you look at Chris Minick’s test of these finishes in FWW #187, you’ll see that several of them, including Minwax’s Polycrylic and Hydrocote’s Resisthane Plus, produced a clear, non-yellow finish. Brush on a waterborne finish. Two or three coats of a clear, non-glossy, water-based polyurethane will give the spalted maple a protective coat but keep the wood’s natural look. If a non-film oil finish is more important to you, try either Minwax’s or Watco’s Wipe-On Poly, both of which are among the clearest of this type of product. However, either one will yellow the wood more than the water- based finish, and you won’t be giving the wood much protection. —Teri Masaschi is a finishing expert and a frequent contributor. READER SERVICE NO. 139 One of The Largest Selections of Whiteside Router Bits! Whiteside 7pc. Router Bit Set #R401 er Bit Set 01 Your Sour o Find Tools Since 1972! Unique, & Hard To 1 Sou urce For Essential, ia ! al, F R E E ! CATALOG 00-345-2396 READER SERVICE NO. 135 hartvilletool.com 800-345-2396 34 F I N E WO O dWO R k I N g $79 Delivered Whatever your project, the WoodRat gives you strong, elegant, well fitting joints. It’s fast, accurate, fun and makes virtually any kind of joint without compromise. Get the demo DVD today: $7.00 1-877-WOODRAT www.woodrat.com READER SERVICE NO. 66 Perfect Joints the easy way